Overlooked
by W double-you
Summary: [TomoyoEriol] Tomoyo's brilliance was unwanted. Eriol's genius was unwelcome. Together, their broken pasts are weaved to create the mosaic of a future. Destined to be overlooked nevermore. rating changed again [written by aichin]
1. Beginnings

Chapter One:

He stood outside. Rain flowed onto his sleek velvet hat, and his cloak was on the verge of turning sopping wet. Nevertheless he stood and looked through a surprisingly clean window of an orphanage. He smiled when he saw a little girl attempt braiding another's hair. The hair, in the end, _almost _resembled a braid. From his standing point, Eriol could tell that there was one ropelike strand going down the older girl's back. His thoughts went back to earlier that night, when his mother had yelled at him, while his father stood meekly behind.

"_Get out! I never want to se or hear from you again! You measly little brat, I know we're rich, but you still have a few responsibilities, don't you know? Good-for-nothing piece of crap, what good do you bring to this household? There are bills and taxes to pay! Do you know how much it costs to keep you alive? It would be better if you left! You don't deserve the love and attention your father and I give you!" _

He winced at the memory, and further cringed when he remembered his shows of weakness and hurt. He was a very kind, hard-working boy, with perfect grades and many friends. What had he done to anger his parents, especially his mother, so? After his mother's yelling had ceased and she had retreated into her quarters with a loud slam of a door, he strode quickly strode over to the cabinet where his assets and banknotes were stored. These he took, and seizing a pen and a sheet of his personal stationary, he wrote a short, eight-word note.

'_I truly loved you. Both of you. Farewell.'_

Without a single backward glance at what had been his home for his whole life, seventeen year old Hiiragizawa Eriol gracefully stepped out of his grounds, carrying nothing but the clothes on his back, his life savings (which were nothing to sneeze at, mind you), and memories, both pleasant and not.

As he stepped up to the window of the orphanage, he could see everything. There were children everywhere, crawling, walking, running, and even one was sleeping on the lap of a dark-haired girl. At first, he overlooked this girl, focusing mainly on the children. The children looked bright, clean, and healthy. He sighed with relief. He adored children and would always enjoy playing with them. His attention flickered back to the girl. He could see nothing especially attractive about his girl, whose back was facing him. Taking a deep breath, he stood at the door and knocked.

"Tomoyo onee-chan, someone's knocking at the door!!! "

"Quick 'Moyo-chan! There's somebody who wants to come in!"

"Come on, nee-san, come on!!"

The children were eager to see who the surprise visitor was, and were squabbling over who would be the first to see.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" Tomoyo sang out, "But y'all better behave yourselves! You don't want to scare our visitors away, now would you?"

Eriol heard the ruckus coming from inside and chuckled. He heard the voice of an older girl, and immediately frowned. It was too sweet, too superficial, too much like saccharine. No, he would not trust one with this type of a voice.

The door opened. A round, pale but flushed face peered out.

"Hello! This is the orphanage of Chiisanai County. If it would not trouble you too much, might you tell us why you would be here? Is there something we can-Oh- What am I doing, giving you the customary interrogation? And in the rain, too! Quick, Leila, would you please put a pot of tea on? Thank you! Tess, would you please clear off one of the couches? Thanks sweetheart! Oh, and Josh, could you run and get one of Ms. Grunchin's wool blankets? Arigato minna-san!"

At her beckoning, the three designated children hurried off and completed their tasks in a matter of seconds. Eriol's wet cloak and hat were taken off by some little child, and he was led into a warm room, the very room that he had been spying on, and a warm blanket was wrapped around his shoulders, while a black-haired girl was carefully pouring him a cup of tea. As he sat down on a comfortable couch, he could see her pucker her eyebrows in concentration, and she looked so comical that he chuckled. The girl looked up, shocked, and dropped the cup which was filled to the brim with boiling hot tea. She gasped, but the cup never reached the floor. The older girl, Tomoyo, her name seemed to be, gracefully ran over to her, and before the cup of steaming hot tea fell to the ground, she caught it, with remarkable speed and poise. Eriol was amazed; and he was further amazed when Tomoyo didn't cry out by the temperature of the cup, which had to be extremely hot.

"There, there, Leila, don't cry. It's fine! See, I caught the cup! There's no mess, nothing! You were pouring the tea very well, and I'm glad that you tried your best! Why, I believe that you pour tea even better than me! If I had been pouring the tea, I'm sure that I would have missed the cup entirely and poured the tea on the nice gentleman! That would be bad, and I'm sure that he would not have appreciated that!" Tomoyo finished with a giggle, and she hugged the once crying girl.

Leila looked up. "Do you really think that I'm good at pouring tea? My mother used to yell at me for my pouring skills." The troubled girl broke off with another sob, and Eriol could see the anguish her confession brought Tomoyo.

"Leila sweetheart, daijoubu. No one was harmed! Don't be sad! Tell you what, tonight, we'll all bake cookies! How's that?!"

The children cheered and cleared away, heading to the kitchen to assemble the ingredients needed for sugar cookies, their favorites.

Leila stayed with Tomoyo, until Tomoyo exclaimed, "Oh no! I was so busy with the medicine that I forgot the frosting and decorations for the cookies!" She groaned, "And I bet we're out of sugar."

Just as she had predicted, a boy who seemed to be in his teenage years burst through a door.

"Tomoyo nee-san, we're out of sugar."

"Yes, Ralph. Thanks for telling me. Would you mind taking Leila with you to the corner store to buy some sugar and decorations? I know it's raining outside, but if you wear ponchos and jackets, I'm sure you'll be alright!"

Ralph looked happy, as though he was pleased that Tomoyo had chosen him to run such an important errand.

He stood up and said to Leila, "Come on! We ought to get going before this rain gets any worse!" Taking her hand, he led her out the door to the coat room.

Eriol looked over at Tomoyo, who seemingly had stars in her eyes.

"Kawaii," she sighed. This was, after all, the first time Ralph had been so kind to a littler child.

Not wanting to ruin her little moment, Eriol kept quiet. Rather, he tried to keep quiet, but failed miserably. He sneezed. A big one. A really big one…okay. Tomoyo gasped.

"Oh, gomen-nasai! I forgot that you still haven't gotten your tea! Oh, are you warm enough? Are you hungry? Are you hurt?!"

She proceeded in pouring him a fresh cup of tea, but before she gave it to him, she blew on it.

"It's always a bit hot; I don't want you to burn your tongue!

Eriol sipped the tea and was glad that it was still quite hot; it was nice since he had been a bit chilled. He slowly sipped at it, and when he put it back down, he spoke for the first time.

"Thank you very much, Tomoyo-san. I expect that you are wondering who I am, what I am doing, and why I am here, correct?

"Yes, would you care to explain? If you would rather keep your information secret, I understand perfectly. It's no problem to me!"

Eriol smiled once again.

"I'm glad that you won't inquire and interrogate me. I don't really want to … reveal myself to the world, just yet. I'm glad you understand. I will, however, tell you that my name is Hiiragizawa Eriol."

She glanced over at the handsome, navy-haired teenager, and timidly asked,

"Hiiragizawa-san?"

"Please, Eriol is fine."

"Alright then, Eriol-san, how old are you? You look like you are around…oh, seventeen, right?"

"That's right. My birthday was a couple weeks ago. And you, Tomoyo-san are… seventeen years old as well, right?"

Tomoyo looked surprised.

"Actually, I'm fifteen, turning sixteen this year, but many people think that I look older than my age!" She gave what seemed to be a careless laugh, but to Eriol, it was much more. He himself had laughed that very laugh countless times. It was a laugh laced with pain.

"Tomoyo, it must be because you work yourself too hard! I cannot believe one so young as yourself would take care of all these children! By yourself, too!"

At this, Tomoyo looked slightly dimmer, but so slightly that Eriol would have missed it had he not been an expert at masking his own emotions.

There was what seemed to be an interminable silence. When she spoke again, her grayish bangs covered her eyes.

"Actually, a really sweet old dear runs this orphanage. However, she recently has caught a disease, incurable, and her death is inevitable. All the children and I love her to bits, but her time really seems to have come. Her name is Ms. Grunchin, and she knitted the blanket you are using right now. Currently, she is staying with her sister, a professionally trained nurse. She's asked us to just let her go, and I think that that'll be one of the hardest things I've ever had to do." Under her breath, almost subconsciously, Tomoyo muttered, "And trust me, I've done many, many arduous things in my life."

Eriol heard this and wondered what sort of difficulties a girl like her had gone through. How had she created an almost perfect mask to hide beneath? How could she hide beneath that mask with such ease? He himself found it hard to keep his barriers up; he found it hard to keep others from seeing his weaknesses.

_Why, she hasn't said much about herself, has she? She probably doesn't want to share…_

As he was thinking these thoughts, Tomoyo was apologizing.

"Gomen-nasai, Eriol-san; I haven't told anyone my story yet. Does it bother you that I won't tell you? I'm sorry if it does bother you, but…" She broke off with a mournful, glazed look.

"Of course it doesn't bother me!" He exclaimed. Then, seeing her surprised and then slightly miffed face, he quickly added, "Not that I don't care about your past, but I believe that everyone is free to tell what they want when they want. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

In his head, Eriol beat himself up. _You sound like a stuttering fool. Ah, yes. You are exhausted. Not sleeping for two consecutive nights really drains one's energy._

Feeling more than a bit self-conscious, Eriol was about to ask if he could stay, but Tomoyo beat him to it.

"Eriol, you are nearly falling asleep. Judging by the circles under your eyes, you haven't slept for two days. If you want, you can stay here tonight." She glanced at the clock. It was about eight o'clock, and the children needed to be in bed by nine. "There are extra beds upstairs; we can discuss anything else you might need in the morning."

She led him upstairs, and once they stood outside of the room, Tomoyo fumbled with the doorknob.

_Itai! sigh I really need some burn medicine for my hand. I hope Eriol doesn't notice it- he seems so observant…He could really help this orphanage!_

Tomoyo finally opened the door, and of course, Eriol noticed how she favored her right hand. Deciding not to say anything about it, Eriol thanked her again and went straight to bed. His last thought before falling asleep was _Tomoyo…seems so….psychic…I wonder if she is…._

Tomoyo sniffed the air. There was a light, sugary smell. _The cookies! _She raced down to the kitchen to find about fifteen platters of cookies, each with at least three kids hanging onto them. There was flour everywhere, on the countertops, in the oven, and in their hair, but they all were smiling and happily decorating. Ming, one of the newer little girls, shyly stepped up to Tomoyo.

"Tomoyo nee-san, do you want a cookie? I made this one all by myself- it's the first cookie I ever made!" She beamed and held a rather lumpy looking cookie out.

Tomoyo looked at the cookie and said, "What a delicious looking cookie! Of course I'll eat it! And you used purple frosting for me! How did you know that purple is my favorite color!" With that, Tomoyo took a big bite out of the cookie. It was truly delicious.

"Thanks Ming sweetie! We can eat up all of these cookies tomorrow, 'kay? But be sure to save some for Mr. Eriol!"

"Okay!" the children chorused.

"Now, minna-san, can we all finish cleaning up all this flour stuff tonight before bedtime?"

"Hai!"

All of the children were eager to show off how good they were at cleaning up. They each wanted Tomoyo to praise their hard work, since she had been the first person in their lives to encourage them. You see, many of the children had been orphans as little children, or even as infants. Others had run away from home, for various reasons/ Tomoyo had only been there for half a year, but the children already loved her and wanted her to be in charge of the orphanage after Ms. Grunchin left.

Twenty minutes later, Tomoyo glanced around the kitchen. All of it, even their hair, had been carefully wiped and cleaned, and everything looked sparkling and new.

As she always did, Tomoyo gave a huge gasp, a bit exaggerated to show her genuine surprise.

"Oh my gosh! You all did such a wonderful job! Thank you!" She turned to all the children with a shining face. Her eyes flew to the clock. "Time for bed everybody! Wake up nice and early, and you can have a bath……… in the downstairs swimming pool!"

The children cheered and ran up the stairs. Tomoyo chuckled and stepped into the living room. She pulled her study books from the shelf that was stuffed with books and decided that she was going to tuck the children in after fifteen minutes of studying. Then, she would resume studying until midnight. She sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. She quickly stopped rubbing, remembering the concealer and foundation she always put on to hid the shadows under her eyes. Briskly walking to the couch, Tomoyo sat down and read from her history book; one she had purchased from a second-hand bookstore. Finding it hard to concentrate, Tomoyo decided to sketch a few dresses, as she loved to design clothes, especially children's clothes. Then, her thoughts drifted to the color coordination of the unused bedrooms.

The 45 children used ten bedrooms out of the twenty bedrooms the orphanage had. Originally, there had only been five bedrooms, but Tomoyo decided to fund the adding on of the new rooms. One bedroom's color theme was soft pastel colors. This was the room for the littlest children, children around two or three years old. The other rooms varied in decoration and themes, but Tomoyo had them all perfectly planned out. She thought about the plain white room that Eriol was staying in and decided to let him design it himself.

Fifteen minutes later, Tomoyo hopped up from the couch and went upstairs. Her first rounds were of the youngest children. More often than not, they would need someone to sing them to sleep or hold their hands. She walked through the other rooms and sang five more songs, read at least ten more stories, held twenty hands, and kissed forty-five foreheads or cheeks. After she sang her last note in the last room, Tomoyo closed the door and headed downstairs. She curled up on her favorite couch, made sure that there was enough light, and started to read her history book.

One hour later, at about ten thirty, Tomoyo took out her Algebra II textbook and worked her way through complex equations, getting stuck on many of the problems. She sighed, and after an hour and fifteen minutes of math, she heard someone coming down the stairs. She frowned. The children rarely ever came down. She always made sure that they all were completely content before they went to bed.

Closing her book, Tomoyo stood at the base of the steps, waiting for whoever it was to come down. To her surprise, she saw not a child, but Eriol!

"Oh, Eriol-san, gomen! Did I wake you up?"

"Iie, I am quite the insomniac, and I can't sleep for more than a two-three hour block." Eriol paused, seeing Tomoyo's worried face, "Don't worry! I'm fine! I feel a whole lot better already."

He took a good look around her person. He smirked.

"Doing your lessons at night, are you, Tomoyo-san?"

"Yes. I…left school when I came to be with the children." Tomoyo looked a bit uncomfortable for a fleeting second, but covered it up by saying, "Ne, Eriol-san, are you any good with Algebra II? You're seventeen, so I expect that you are ahead of me in math, and everything else."

Eriol looked amused. Before he left, he had an A+ in his math class- AP_ calculus._ He chuckled.

"Tomoyo-san, I assure you. Math has always been one of my favorite subjects. I am a bit…advanced in the math levels."

Tomoyo's eyes seemed hopeful, yet hesitant. Eriol smiled gently at her.

"Would you like me to tutor you a bit, Tomoyo-san? It must be very difficult to learn by yourself, without anyone to teach you." His mild amusement was replaced with a puzzled look.

"How _did_ you teach yourself how to do all of this math in the first place? Have you been in this orphanage for a long time?"

Eriol and Tomoyo both knew that by his asking this question, he was prodding into her past. Tomoyo thought about her answer for a second and slowly answered,

"No. Actually, I've been in this orphanage for about six months, not that long a time. Before my arrival at the orphanage, I, too, went to school and was in the honors geometry class as a freshman in high school. I passed that class, and ever since I came here, I've been teaching myself from this textbook."

She held up a textbook that looked quite worn.

"I bought it from a second-hand bookstore. They buy books from the local students who don't want to keep their old textbooks. Their prices are extremely low; this book cost a quarter of the original price, $60. I was able to buy this book with money I had…ano...saved up, you might say."

Tomoyo chewed her lip. It was true. She _had_ saved up this money, but the money came from her designs for her mother's toy company. She gritted her teeth as memories of her former life flooded through her. _Mother…_ Tomoyo mentally shook her head. It was time to move on.

Meanwhile, Eriol had listened, but was taking a better look around him. He saw advanced textbooks lying around. He had gone through most of them, all but the Advanced AP Literary textbook. Though he had an A+ in Language Arts before he left, he wasn't in the most advanced literary group. He saw a number of books with post-its sticking out of them, the books themselves in a battered condition, but the handwriting in them and on the post-its was very neat. He turned his attention back to Tomoyo.

"So, how about it? Could I stay here if I tutor you?" His eyes twinkled, knowing that even if he wouldn't tutor her, Tomoyo would still let him stay.

"Would you really tutor me? I am…quite a slow learner. You may have to put up with my slow abilities!" Tomoyo knew that this was not quite true. She caught on easily if she truly understood, and she had no doubt that Eriol-san could teach her anything.

Eriol only raised his eyebrow in a quizzical expression and waited for her consent.

"It's a deal, then, Hiiragizawa-sensei! You teach me, I feed, clothe, and shelter you! Ohohohoho, but you have to be nice to the children, you cannot swear in front of them, and if you are going to drink, do not come home drunk!" Tomoyo said all this with a glint in her eye.

"Oh yes, and Eriol-san?"

"Hai?"

"No…weird girlfriends, either!" She gave a chuckle.

"Don't worry about weird girlfriends. I haven't even had a "normal" girlfriend yet!"

Tomoyo smiled.

"Can we start the tutoring lessons tomorrow? It's nearing midnight…" She trailed off, not wanting it to seem like Eriol was keeping her up.

"Sure," he agreed, "we'll start tomorrow at, oh, probably 10:45 PM. Is that alright with you? We would have approximately an hour to go over a lesson and also have fifteen or so minutes if you have any questions. Sound fair?"

"Yes! Eriol-sensei, I will do my best!" Tomoyo nearly yawned, and quickly said, "If you want any cookies, help yourself! Unless they say 'DO NOT EAT!!' That would be bad, ne?" She gave another giggle, and this time, she was unable to stop a yawn.

Eriol grinned and asked impishly, "How many cookies can I have?"

Tomoyo pretended to think about it for a while.

"Hmm….Maybe…..five. Is that enough for you?"

Eriol gasped in mock horror. "Only five! I need twenty- at least!"

Tomoyo laughed and said, "Oh, alright, you big, selfish baby, have twenty. But don't be surprised if you're greeted with 45 angry children tomorrow!"

Eriol chuckled and said, "Oyasumi-nasai Tomoyo-san."

Tomoyo replied, "Oyasumi. Are you going back to sleep?"

"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not."

"Well, if you could help me with the school, I'd appreciate it! It starts at 10:00 AM. _Sharp._

"Alright, I'll help!"

"Domo-arigato, Eriol-san." Tomoyo smiled at him and went up the stairs, glad to finally get some sleep.

Once he saw that Tomoyo was heading up the stairs, he went into the kitchen. He did not really want any cookies, but he wanted to think.

_She runs her own school? Hn, that's quite impressive. I said that I'll help…demo, I've never taught anything before…Ah, well, we'll see what the future brings. _

* * *

Howdy, minna-san!! Ohohohoho- y'all made it to the bottom How was it? Loved it? Hated it? Think it should die and rot in hell? Tell me what you think!!!!!!! Bows Arigato!

This is not really a comedy ficcy, but it should get more amusing in the next few chapters!

Hmmm….so what's up with Tomoyo? Why won't she reveal her past like Eriol has??? What secret is she hiding??? Hmmmm…….very, very interesting!!!

Onee-san older sister

Onee-chan older sister- more endearing than onee-san

'nee-san abbreviation of onee-san

Arigato thank you

Minna-san everyone

Daijoubu 'it's ok" or something along those lines...

Kawaii if you don't know by now, i'll bash your head in!

Gomen-nasai sorry (politely)

Kami-sama Gosh or God

San equivalent to a Ms. or Mr.

Itai ouch

Hai look at the definition for 'kawaii'

Oyasumi-nasai good night

Domo-arigato thank you very much, or something like that

Demo but

Ano um…literally


	2. Moyochan and Hiiragizawa Eriol

Chapter Two:

Tomoyo woke up to the weak rays of sunlight, indicating the earliness of the day. Sunlight peeped in through the tiny little holes in her lavender colored curtains. Yawning, Tomoyo stood up and stretched, her purple tank top riding up her stomach. Shivering, she slipped into a soft, sakura-blossom patterned terry robe. She had made this robe herself, and it had many pockets and compartments. She groped around in one of the pockets for her makeup kit. In it, she had a ton of cosmetics, but she only used the foundation and concealer. She sat in front of a mirror, and after applying the makeup, she looked at her self and willed her eyes to sparkle. Looking at her smiley appearance, she felt fake and plastic, but everyone believed it, so she was safe.

Yawning again, she decided to go down and make some coffee. As she walked down the stairs, she frowned and was confused. She sniffed and sniffed again.

_Wait. Do I smell…coffee? _

Glancing at the clock as she passed, she noticed that it was only 5:00 AM; two hours earlier than the children usually awoke. She walked briskly to the kitchen and saw Eriol sitting at the table, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand. He had his glasses off, and when he looked up, Tomoyo looked into the saddest azure eyes that she had ever seen.

He looked startled, and quickly made his eyes sparkle before putting on his glasses and he said, "Ohayo-gozaimas, Tomoyo-san. I've been staring at that plate of cookies for five hours, knowing that I can only eat five…when I could finish the whole entire plate!" He then gestured to the coffee maker.

"I also made some coffee. Do you like coffee? I do. It's just about the only thing that will keep me awake or keep me from falling asleep. Not that I wanted to stay awake, though. You're up earlier than I expected. You've only had five hours of sleep! How can you function properly for a whole day?"

Eriol was rambling and he knew it. So did Tomoyo. She snapped back,

"_You've_ only had 3 hours and 45 minutes to sleep, and you're nagging me?"

Eriol held up his hands and said, "Whoa, whoa! Who's nagging? I'm simply inquiring!"

Tomoyo seemed to want to go on and break past her porcelain facade, but she smiled apologetically instead.

"Sorry. I'm not always at my best in the morning. And there's still so much to do!"

In her mind, Tomoyo was thinking about the bath she had promised the children. She thanked Eriol for making the coffee, took a mug and drained half of it in one gulp. Excusing herself, Tomoyo headed down the basement steps. As with the extension of the fifteen rooms, Tomoyo had paid for and oversaw the construction of a huge pool in the basement. Taking separate baths was too much of a hassle, so Tomoyo had a custom made pool with a few showerheads. She would take the girls first, while the boys studied for their lessons. After the girls were finished, Tomoyo would help some of the younger boys to bathe. The older boys bathed by themselves, and when they finished, it was their responsibility to clean the tub.

The pool was heated, and since everything's price had gone up, Tomoyo abandoned her usual hygiene-freakishness and opted to take baths every two days instead. It wasn't that bad, actually. The children were always very careful about staying clean.

_They really are sweet. _Tomoyo sighed, took a sip of water and announced to Eriol where she was going. She left to start getting the water ready. There was already water in it, and all she had to do was warm it. She heard footsteps behind her. Spinning around and going into a slight but flexible defense pose, Tomoyo let out the breath she had been holding when she saw that it was Eriol.

"Eriol-san, what are you doing here?"

"Just looking around to see what I can help out with," he cheerfully replied.

"So, what can I do, Tomoyo-san?"

"There's not much, but would you like to swim, or rather, bathe with the boys? I'm sorry, but we don't take baths everyday now." Ashamed, Tomoyo looked down, turning a bit pink, she knew.

Eriol smiled at her kawaii blush. (haaaaanyaaaaaan!!!—srry sweatdrop)

"Oh, wonderful! I thought you were going to make me bathe everyday, and scrub behind my ears, too!"

Tomoyo giggled and heard the pattering of many feet.

"That'll be my girls! Eriol-san, would you please step out through this door? It leads to the garden, and from the garden, I'm sure you'll know how to get back into the house. No peeking!"

With that, Tomoyo gracefully turned, her long, silky gray hair floating gently behind her. Eriol quickly stepped out, not wanting to be dubbed a hentai by all of those little girls.

Once Eriol was gone, the girls started to go into the bathtub.

"Tomoyo nee-chan! Come in, the water is nice and hot!"

"Coming, everyone!" Tomoyo took off her tank top and her pajama bottoms.

(Ohohohoho----are any of y'all hentais out there? (gives a smile and flounces off)

JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHAHAHAHA. I blame the sugar.)

She wore a lavender bikini underneath. She wore a bikini because it was the only swimsuit she owned, since…since...blank—not telling you yet! .

The others quickly stripped off their clothing and jumped in, while some dove into the deep end of the pool, which was about seven feet deep.

There were great splashes and noises, and after about twenty minutes of scrubbing, everyone was squeaky clean.

"Everyone out!" Tomoyo called, "The boys need to have fresh water, and that takes time! Please, dry yourselves off and dress. I'll be with you to help with your lessons when you are ready. Wait for me in the living room! Oh yes, tell the boys that the water will be ready in a little bit! Arigato!"

After all that yelling, Tomoyo, who was clean herself, started to drain the water. She turned on the faucets, warm water coming out. The door opened. When she saw that it was Eriol, she squeaked, tinged pink, and grabbed her towel. He looked equally as flustered.

"G-gomen-nasai, Tomoyo-san! I thought that I was supposed to let the water into the tub for the boys! That's what I thought the children said anyway!"

From the hallway, several titters came. Tomoyo, still flushed, said very loudly,

"I'm sure that whoever told you that will gladly do _all_ of the house chores today!"

Thundering footsteps were heard leading away from the pool. Tomoyo giggled and when she remembered her situation, her blush quickly turned a few shades darker, but almost immediately, she regained composure and returned to her natural skin tone. Eriol was still standing there, and he was looking away, his normally pale face tinged red. Tomoyo chuckled.

"It's not so bad, you know," she said.

"N-nani?! (seriously sweating) I…I'm really sorry…If I had known…"

Tomoyo gave a small laugh.

"Eriol-san, it's okay. I have a swimsuit on. Surely you have been to the beach or to the pool before?"

Turning slightly redder, Eriol stuttered,

"Yes, yes. Ermmm..yeah, well, if you need help, give a holler."

Turning around he left, with a certain stiffness in his usually graceful and lethargic gait.

Giggling again, Tomoyo turned her attention back to the task at hand.

In no time at all, Tomoyo finished filling the tub and Eriol and the boys jumped in right after she left. She went into her room, touched up her makeup, and dressed.

After she was dry and dressed in faded denim jeans and a baggy long-sleeved purple tee-shirt. She was comfortable, and quickly stepped into the downstairs rooms, where the girls had already started their lessons. Tomoyo smiled gently at the sight of all of them sitting neatly in various places in the large living room and in the recreation room. Crossing over to her "teacher's desk" she noticed two piles: one was small, the other was large. Tomoyo's brows furrowed as she tried to understand why there were two piles. She had never told the boys to make two piles: one was sufficient. She then noticed blue marks on many of the papers in the larger group. There were neat corrections on all of the arithmetic papers and simple writing prompt essays, but the analytical essays that Tomoyo had assigned the older students to do were found in the smaller pile.

Tomoyo started to grin.

Eriol had gone through and corrected the children's papers! She felt warm inside- he had done this to keep his promise to her! She was puzzled by one thing, though.

_Why didn't he correct the essays? Did I tell him that I grade them specifically? _She thought back to their conversation. _Nope. I didn't tell him. Ohohohoho- it may be that Eriol does not like writing or correcting essays!_

The children sitting around Tomoyo looked nervously at her while she seemed to be having some sort of a freaky fit with her trademark 'Ohohohoho' laugh. Tomoyo felt their stares and quickly apologized, focusing her energy to the essays she had to correct.

(A/N: Authoresses note: I don't feel like writing about Tomoyo helping the girls through their work…Work stinks! Speaking of which…that element project…. .)

After the seven hour school day (complete with a lunch break), Tomoyo and Eriol decided that the children could have a free time.

It was almost dinner time, and Tomoyo still had to get dinner started. She consulted the chore-chart standing near the kitchen counter.

"All right! Would Melanie, Clarissa, and Hope come out and give me a hand with dinner?"

The three girls eagerly scrambled over to Tomoyo. She gave out the directions to make spaghetti and meat sauce. Though quite young, the three little girls could easily pull their own load of work. The spaghetti was boiling; Melanie was watching it. The sauce was simmering; Clarissa was stirring it. The salad was being tossed; Hope tossed it. Tomoyo supervised the girls, making sure that they did everything correct. This was crucial, since the girls could get adopted any day. The thought of losing her precious children saddened Tomoyo, but if anyone was ever adopted, she would make sure that the family was kind and loving.

Meanwhile, Eriol was mingling with the boys.

"Haha Eriol-san! We gotcha good this morning, eh?"

"Yes, you sure 'got me good' today," Eriol said dryly, "Is there anything else I need to know?"

The boys stopped and looked thoughtful. Then, one of the more observant looking boys whispered,

"Never mention the word "okaa-san" in front Tomoyo nee-chan, okay?"

Eriol was puzzled. He was about to ask why when Tomoyo rang the dinner bell.

"Come on! Dinner time!"

Eriol felt a tug at his shirt.

"Promise me," the boy whispered urgently.

Eriol gave a slight nod, indicating his promise. The boy smiled and ran off, rambunctious once more.

The dinner was delicious, and everyone ate to their fill. Eriol chuckled as Tomoyo gently scolded a little boy for stuffing spaghetti noodles up his nose. He thought about how different this environment was; there was no one to compete against. Before his departure, there was always someone better than him, someone to beat. Here, Tomoyo was much better than he, personality wise. The children were cute, and none of them were "worthy" to be compared to him. (Not speaking offensively to the children! It's just that Eriol has been rich and smart all throughout his life. These children have suffered a lot before Tomoyo came.)

Tomoyo stood at the head of the table and told the children to clean up. The clean up went fairly smoothly- only once did Tomoyo need to chide someone for doing something inappropriate.

As the clock struck nine, the children filed upstairs without word; they knew what that it was time to prepare for bed. Tomoyo followed them, telling Eriol that she'd be down at ten o'clock, after putting the children to sleep. Eriol complied and sat down on an old but comfortable couch to read over the lesson he planned to cover with Tomoyo.

The lesson itself was fairly simple- he was sure that Tomoyo would understand it in no time. Eriol, on the other hand, was having a bit of trouble with the couch. He was feeling around for the levers that usually controlled the height and the angle of the back. He found it and gave a tug. Nothing happened. The clock struck ten. (A/N Are you thinking 'Hickory Dickory Dock' ????? I am!!! Hickory dickory dock…the mouse ran up the clock…okay, never mind)

As promised, at 10 o' clock, Tomoyo came rushing down the stairs. She was just on time. Clearly punctuality was a big thing to her. She gave a little pant of breath before standing next to the couch that Eriol was sitting down on. She seemed confused as to why Eriol was bent over the arm rest of the couch.

"Eriol, daijoubu-deska?"

"Daijoubu-janai," Eriol grunted, having a harder time with the lever than he cared to. But the couch was really very uncomfortable!

Tomoyo, being as perceptive as she was, easily realized what Eriol was trying to achieve. Lightly brushing his hand out of the way, she gently pulled the lever and the couch moved.

"Is that okay?" Questioned the ever accommodating Tomoyo.

"Yes. Arigato Tomoyo-san."

"Nande monai."

Eriol, for the second time that day, sported a red tinge to his cheeks. He was embarrassed for having to ask for assistance in something as simple as adjusting a couch.

Tomoyo began pulling out a few other books besides the math book which Eriol had been looking in.

"So, Eriol-sensei. What's the lesson for today?"

"Well, I was planning to have you do the review of lessons 1 through 6. You seem to have a clear understanding, but I want to be sure you know the material. After you do the review, I think it would be best to move on one chapter. How does that sound to you?"

Tomoyo looked a bit hesitant, but agreed. They worked together, solving math problems. Eriol was right—Tomoyo was a fast learner. They wound up going through two lessons together, and Tomoyo was extremely grateful.

"Wow, I never knew that I could be so good at math!" Tomoyo joked.

"Haha—it's all because of me. I am a number one teacher, you know!" Eriol gave an impish grin, intending his comment as a joke, but Tomoyo turned serious.

"I really must thank you for all that you've done for me. I've been having some trouble with understanding the new concepts in math. You really are a number one teacher!"

Eriol blushed. He wasn't used to such earnest praise. Everyone had always expected that he would be the best at everything, so even if he exceeded their expectations, they would say, "Eriol's done it again!" and move on with their lives.

Tomoyo glanced at the clock. It was nearing 1:00am. She gathered up her books and organized them on her book shelf. She stopped to gaze at a picture propped up against her favorite books. This picture was different from all the other pictures in the house. Tomoyo herself was in it; in the other pictures, she was the photographer, never in the picture. Along with her was a cheerful, bright, smiling girl with short auburn hair. Both girls were eating ice cream cones and holding their school bags. Their uniforms indicated that they had been in high school at the time of the photo. Tomoyo smiled gently, remembering that moment. Her face clouded as she recalled the events that occurred later that day…that horrible day…

Eriol looked over at the picture Tomoyo was musing over. One of the girls in the picture was obviously Tomoyo, with her bright gray hair glinting in the afternoon sunlight. But who was that other girl, with short auburn hair? She seemed so familiar…Eriol stood up and walked over to the picture. Tomoyo started and walked to the other bookshelf to pull out a novel.

As Eriol more closely studied Tomoyo's expression, he detected a trace of worry. He then studied the other girl, who was very clearly carefree. Eriol was puzzled. What could Tomoyo have been worried about?

Shaking himself to attention, Eriol turned to Tomoyo who was curled over a thin, worn book. He leaned over and read the title: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. He recognized the title, as he had read it in his literature class a few years ago.

"Tomoyo?" Eriol asked, though he was tentative to rouse Tomoyo from her reading.

If Tomoyo was annoyed, she certainly hid it well.

"Yes? What's the matter?"

"Why are you reading that book? I would imagine that you have already done an in-depth essay analyzing every aspect of the book."

Tomoyo laughed.

"How did you know about my essay? Anyway, I just enjoy reading a good book over and over, and tonight, I'm a bit more tired than usual, so I wanted an easy read."

Tomoyo looked at the clock, stood up, and stretched.

"It's getting late. I think that I will go to bed now. Is that alright with you?"

"Please, go ahead!"

"Eriol, are you going to sleep?"

"I'm reasonably sure that I will eventually sleep tonight, yes."

Tomoyo giggled.

"Alright then, Mr. Insomniac! You can go to sleep when you want. I'm not your mother, after all."

At the word mother, Tomoyo's eyes clouded for a fleeting moment, but Eriol caught it. He was now more curious than ever about what happened. Nevertheless, he smiled and said, "Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite!"

Tomoyo yawned.

"See you in the morning! Be ready to start school at 10:00 AM sharp!"

"Yes ma'am!"

Eriol saluted her, and she chuckled.

"You are such a goofball!"

"Thanks—I take that as a compliment!"

Tomoyo said good night and headed up the stairs to her room, ready to rest for a few hours before repeating her long day.

Eriol turned his attention back on the photo.

_I know this girl…I remember her short auburn hair and her green eyes…but from where?_

Then he remembered. _She sat on me on the day I began to go help my dad at the hospital!_

Eriol's father was the most prominent doctor in the country. He was kind and patient, but if another person were to have an argument with him, he would bow down and admit defeat. He seemed most afraid of his wife. Eriol himself had told him many times to stand up against her, but his dad's famous line was: "It's alright. Things will eventually turn out okay." This phrase was Eriol's pet peeve. He hated the fact that his father would insist that things were okay when they weren't. He remembered the day that he left. His father hadn't even tried to console him…

The first day of Eriol's volunteer work had been hectic. There was one case that the doctors were confused about. A lady with short brown hair had been admitted into the ER, for a car accident. She suffered minor, external injuries, yet when she woke up, she seemed to have amnesia.

Eriol sat on the couch that had given him so much grief. He closed his eyes, deep in thought. _I have to remember what happened that day…_

_He was walking with his friends to a nearby fast-food joint. They were about to get in line when Eriol's cell phone rang._

"_Hello?" Asked Eriol as he flipped open his phone._

"_Hello. This is your father. Meet me at the hospital in ten minutes. I know that your first day of volunteering is tomorrow, but there are some girls here that are high school freshmen. Apparently one of their mothers was submitted to the ER for tests after surviving a car accident. We can't find anyone to comfort them. One girl is sobbing uncontrollably…but it's the other one we're worried about. Please come quickly."_

_With that, his father had hung up. Eriol stared at his phone, wondering whether or not he should go._

"_Yo, Eriol, what's up?"_

"_Nothing. I just have to go the hospital; volunteering's gonna start one day early apparently."_

"_Oh, sucks for you man. Whatever. Meet us at the quad tomorrow, aiight? Cool."_

"_Yeah, later." With that, Eriol left. He called his limo and instructed his chauffer to go to the hospital. _

_Upon arriving at the hospital, Eriol headed straight for the ER. There, he found his father waiting for him. _

"_Good. You came. One of the girls is waiting there, but the one who was crying went to get something to drink. She insisted that she went by herself…Please go talk to the other girl. Her name is Daidouji, we don't know her first name yet; she wouldn't tell us. But the other girl's name is Kinomoto Sakura. Go on in._

"_Wait! I don't even know…" _

_But his father had pushed through the waiting room doors. There, he saw a very beautiful girl. Her skin was white as porcelain, her hair was slightly wavy and a bright gray, it didn't seem like she was wearing any make up, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. She was wearing her high school uniform, and she was sitting with perfect posture. He guessed that she was used to being proper, as he was. Then, she lifted her amethyst eyes to meet his. They looked beautiful, yet empty, devoid of life. _

"_Hello. Can I help you?" She asked. Her voice did not seem to match her appearance. It was almost rough, almost raspy. He ignored this and answered cheerfully:_

"_Nope. I'm fine, but I was told that you might need some company. So what's up?"  
_

"_Nothing." She said coldly. "My friend will be coming back shortly. You needn't stay here with me. I would like to be by myself for a while. Thank you."_

_Tomoyo stood up and held the door open for Eriol to exit through, as though she was a polite host ushering her guests out._

_Eriol was stunned as he walked through the door. No one had ever told him that they wanted to be by themselves…everyone was always pleased by his presence. He wasn't paying attention to his route, and a girl carrying two hot chocolates ran into him as he turned a corner. _

"_Holy crap!" He exclaimed, as his favorite midnight blue Lacoste shirt was drenched in scalding hot chocolate._

"_I'm very sorry!" Said the girl who had fallen on him. Eriol looked at her shiny auburn hair and her big, bright, red-rimmed eyes. It was obvious that she had been crying. She wasn't very heavy, but as she sat on him while she tried to wipe his shirt, he felt his legs go numb._

"_Oh, sorry! I'm cutting off your circulation!" Eriol chuckled. No one had every said that to him before. _

"_No, it was my fault. I should have been watching where I was walking. Are you alright?" _

"_Yes, I'm fine. Oh bother. I've got to go get more hot chocolate now!"_

_Eriol looked at her strangely._

"_Did you walk all the way to the cafeteria to buy two cups of hot chocolate?"  
_

_The girl smiled.  
_

"_Yes, I did. A nice doctor said that I could go to the lounge, but I couldn't find it, so…"_

_She trailed off, turning her head around._

_Eriol did his best not to laugh. _

"_There's a door with the sign 'Lounge'. We are standing right in front of it."_

_The girl looked behind her in surprise. _

"_Oh my goodness! I didn't even realize it!"_

_Eriol chuckled and opened the door._

"_After you…" He broke off, looking expectantly at the girl. _

"_Sakura. My name is Kinomoto Sakura."_

"_My name is Eriol. Hiiragizawa Eriol."  
_

_They stepped into the lounge together, and Eriol decided to make the hot chocolate. _

_Sakura sat down on one of the couches, her cheerful expression gone. Once she remembered the situation, she was somber. She sighed. Eriol turned to look at her._

"_What's the matter? I just met Daidouji-san, and she seemed very…stone-like."_

_Sakura looked up at Eriol. Her worried green eyes told him that there had been a change in her friend; her personality was once different._

_Sakura slowly inhaled a deep breath._

"_I don't know if Moyo-chan would approve of me telling you, but here's the story. Auntie Sonomi, her mother, was driving, and then she got hit by a car. Thankfully, Auntie Sonomi only got cuts and bruises, but the strange thing is, she seems to have a slight amnesia…" Sakura trailed off, looking almost guilty._

_Eriol watched Sakura's expressions intently._

"_Ah. So she forgot about her daughter and only remembered you?"_

_Sakura jumped up._

"_How did you know? Are you psychic? Or did I accidentally say that out loud?"_

_Eriol gently smiled and said that it was merely a lucky guess._

_Sakura sank back into her seat and covered her face._

"_When Auntie Sonomi looked at Moyo-chan and said, "Get out of here. Aren't there any rules that only relatives can visit?' Moyo looked like she had been slapped."_

_Big crystal droplets fell from Sakura's lashes. After sniffling a bit, she continued._

"_What's worse, after Auntie Sonomi said that Moyo-chan wasn't her daughter, she turned to me and said, 'Sakura, sweetie, take this girl out. Auntie wants to rest a bit, but I want you to come back and keep me company. We have so much to talk about!' I'm only her second niece!"_

_Eriol knowingly pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and offered it to Sakura, who took it gratefully and honked noisily._

_She turned her tearful gaze upon Eriol. _

"_What should I do? She's devastated, and I think that she may be partially mad at me! She's my best friend and second cousin. We're family, whether or not Auntie Sonomi remembers! I will never forget!"_

_Sakura cried and cried and cried. Eriol stood awkwardly next to her. Today was certainly an odd day. After Sakura calmed down, he took the carefully brewed hot chocolate and carried it to the waiting room. _

_Tomoyo was still sitting there, still as a rock. She looked like a marble statue, beautiful, yet cold and lifeless._

_She tilted her head toward Sakura and acknowledged their presence with a slight nod. When Eriol offered the hot chocolate to her, she declined._

_Eriol's father rushed in. Tomoyo stood up immediately._

"_Hiiragizawa-sensei. Is my…mother's condition permanent? Will she ever regain her memory?"_

_Eriol's dad looked perturbed._

"_The other doctors have been studying your mother's charts. Her mind should not have been affected by the accident. Perhaps you and your friend should visit her once more."_

_Tomoyo thanked him and turned to Sakura._

"_Please accompany me to visit my mother, Sakura-san."_

_Sakura looked like she had just lost her best friend._

"_Hai," she whispered, as she trailed behind Tomoyo like a woebegone puppy._

_Eriol's father turned to Eriol._

"_It seems like you calmed Kinomoto-san down. No luck with Daidouji-san, eh?"_

_Eriol shook his head._

"_Nope, no luck. Her friend, Sakura, calls her 'Moyo-chan'. What do you think her name could be?"_

_Eriol's father looked over at him._

"_I don't know. Thanks for helping out today. Sometimes, the relatives or friends of patients are the ones who need some extra care…you should go home to do your homework."_

"_Yeah, I should. Thanks. See you when you get home!"_

_Eriol gave a wave and stepped out of the hospital. Later that night, he was so intensely focused on his language arts that he put the day's events out of his immediate attention. _

Eriol's eyes flew open.

"Is she the same person? Moyo-chan, Tomoyo….Why didn't I see it earlier?"

He almost raced up the stairs to question Tomoyo, but he caught himself.

"No, I'd better wait until tomorrow."

He turned off the lights and padded up the stairs.

Meanwhile….

Tomoyo sat before her vanity mirror, washing off her light makeup. Once the makeup was off, the rings underneath her eyes were evident.

"Thank goodness I don't have bags under my eyes yet," she muttered.

She thought back about the picture. It seemed so long ago…three years…

Flashback:

_Tomoyo and Sakura entered into Sonomi's room. _

"_Hello, Daidouji-san," greeted Tomoyo with such immaculate grace. "Are you feeling better?"_

"_Don't try to fool me, Tomoyo! I know that you just want your share of my toy company's stock! Even if you helped with some of the designs, you're not getting anything!"_

_Sonomi looked resolute, but she clapped her hands over her mouth. It was too late. Tomoyo knew that her mother had never truly forgotten her. _

'Does she hate me that much?' _Tomoyo asked herself. _

_To her mother, she said, "Don't worry, mother dear. You will never live to see the day that I, Tomoyo Daidouji, will come crawling to you. I have no place here anymore. Good bye."_

_With that, Tomoyo spun on her heel and headed home, ignoring Sakura's cries and tugs. _

_Once home, she collected up her most needed items and she cleared her personal savings account and all the money she had accumulated throughout her life. All in all, she had about 10 million dollars, every penny earned fairly. She had participated in designing contests, singing contests, and academic contests, each time finishing first. These things she had done in hopes of gaining her mother's favor, but her attempts were futile. Her mother had eyes only for Sakura Kinomoto. Nadeshico's precious daughter. _

_The only thing her mom credited her for was her strong, seemingly perfect relationship with Sakura. Sakura was truly a sweetheart, but Tomoyo couldn't help but feel jealous of that happy-go-lucky girl._

"_Ojou-sama, are you planning a trip? Would you like assistance in packing?" inquired her maids, eager to help their dear little mistress._

"_Yes, please do pack up some clothes for me. Please pack according to each and every season, and would you also prepare my car for me. No, not my mother's car, but my own minivan. Thank you everyone!"_

_Her maids bowed to her as she turned back into her spacious room. She looked on the walls, plastered with pictures of Sakura, Sakura, Sakura. Her mother had insisted that Sakura was more important, that Tomoyo could see herself in the mirror everyday in the mirror if she wanted to. Tomoyo fingered the Polaroid snapshot she had taken with Sakura. Both of them were in the picture. Tomoyo, however, had just been informed that her mother was in a bad condition, so she could not pull off a true-looking smile, expert though she was. This was the only picture that Tomoyo tucked into her jewelry case. This was the only picture that her mother would not appreciate…_

Tomoyo sighed. The three years Tomoyo had spent at the orphanage were easily the greatest of her life.

As she thought about that day in the hospital, Tomoyo frowned, suddenly remembering a certain navy-haired, hot-chocolate stained boy. Why did he look so familiar?

Tomoyo gasped.

"_Hiiragizawa Eriol."_

* * *

A.N.—So now Tomoyo and Eriol realize that they've met before…but Eriol still doesn't know her whole story, nor does Tomoyo know his….. 


	3. Friendship

THENEXTMORNING

**okies: so Eriol and Tomoyo went to their rooms and went to sleepppppppppppp or at least tried to ♥**

Eriol shifted under his blankets. He couldn't fall asleep—not without knowing if Tomoyo was Moyo-chan... But what difference would it make? Would she treat him differently? Would she immediately close up and become that perfect, cold marble statuette?

Early the next morning, Eriol awoke, having slept fitfully. The scent of coffee wafted through the air.

"_Tomoyo's already awake? What is she doing so early in the morning?" _

Eriol silently leaned against the kitchen doorway. He saw Tomoyo. A different Tomoyo. One that seemed defeated by life. Hunched over, she was absently tracing the rim of her coffee mug, holding onto that picture. Tomoyo brushed a few strands of gray hair from her face. Eriol could scarcely hold back a gasp. Her eyes were glazed, red-rimmed, and underneath her them, those soulful, mournful eyes, he could see deep bruises.

_Does she sleep at all? That's right! She can't have much time to sleep, not with the amount of work that she has to do! How could I not have noticed before?_

He shuffled into the kitchen, trying to announce to Tomoyo his entrance. She sat up, startled.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Did I wake you up? Was I too noisy?" She briskly tried to hide her nasal tone. She brushed a hand over her eyes, trying to casually wipe away a few tears. Eriol's hand caught hers as it tried to erase the evidence of her sorrow. His deep blue eyes stared into her amethyst eyes.

"Sorry," she whispered. "It just gets so hard to smile sometimes."

Eriol just held her hand and gently folded her into his warm embrace. Tomoyo, touched by his kindness, broke down in his arms like she hadn't in three years. Crying, she told him of her troubles, and explained her situation with her mother. Some parts he knew, others he didn't. She told him how her father had never been around, how her mother thus became dead set against men, how her mother always turned her aside and doted upon Sakura, the clumsy, cute little girl. Eriol was amazed at Tomoyo's inner strength. How could someone have withstood that pressure for so long?

Eriol took this opportunity to tell her of his troubles as well. How his mother thought he was a waste of space, though he did his best in every action he made, and how his father simply stood and watched, never supporting and never degrading. They sat their in the kitchen together, finding comfort in each other. Tomoyo looked up at Eriol and offered him a watery smile.

"We're an odd pair, huh? To everyone else, we're perfect, yet…" She trailed off. Eriol caught her meaning and nodded, stroking her soft hair.

Tomoyo closed her eyes, feeling a wave of strange but welcome peace wash over her. She leaned back into Eriol's arms and promptly fell asleep. Eriol felt a change in weight and looked down. Chuckling, he realized that Tomoyo had fallen asleep.

Eriol easily picked up Tomoyo's light body and carried her to her bedroom upstairs. He gently deposited her on her bed and kissed her forehead. Tomoyo's lips turned up in a contented smile as she rolled onto her side and curled up against her blanket.

Eriol stepped outside, turning off the light and closing the door. He glanced at the clock. It was already 6:00! He scrambled down the stairs to start….what should he start? Breakfast? The lessons? Shaking his head, he decided to do his best with both.

Eriol Tomoyo FLUFF!!!! AT LAST!!! 3 I think that I really wanted Eriol to be super sweet!!! Haha: just like the anime guys that we wish were real-life!)

7:00 came with Eriol wiping his sweating brow. Some of the children were coming down the stairs, their faces washed, their teeth brushed, and their hair arranged appropriately. They still looked awfully sleepy though. Sitting down at the table, they looked at the food. Eriol had made French toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon A/N: EWW!. At each plate was a cup of milk. The children looked around for Tomoyo. When they couldn't see her, they immediately became wary and sharp.

"What happened to onee-chan?" asked one girl.

"Yeah! Where is she? Tomoyo is _always_ down before us for breakfast!" they all demanded.

Eriol laughed and held up his hands in mock surrender to the children advancing menacingly toward him.

"Don't worry, don't worry! Tomoyo's fine. She looked extremely tired, so I sent her up to bed. If there is anything I'm doing wrong, please tell me. I'll do my best, okay?"

The children relaxed and sat down to breakfast. Others came filing down the stairs, and their friends were eager to fill them in on the information about their beloved Tomoyo.

Breakfast was soon eaten, and several children noiselessly stood up to clear the dishes and wash them. Eriol was surprised by their willingness. Then, he heard a few kids reading out the chores for the next day. He saw a white Dry-Erase marker board on which every chore for everyday of the week was written. Tomoyo had such neat handwriting!

The children began their lessons. A rush of footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs.

Tomoyo was breathless, but her appearance was tidy.

"Hmm….she got rid of those bruises…" thought Eriol. "Must be make-up."

Tomoyo looked dazed. "Wow! Everyone is so organized! Thank you, and sorry! I just fell asleep and couldn't wake up, I guess!"

"It was Eriol-nii-chan's effort, Tomoyo-nee-chan!" piped up a few little girls, "He made breakfast and helped me with my 'plification!"

Tomoyo chuckled. "I see! Okay, keep up the good work! If you need help, you can ask either one of us!"

Tomoyo crossed the room to Eriol. The morning's events played through her head again as she blushed.

_Tomoyo woke up to the sound of children announcing the chores. _

_Her eyes opened wide as she looked at the clock. She rubbed her eyes and looked again._

"_USOOOO!!!!!! Nani, nani, nani?!?!?!?"_

Tomoyo had rushed to make herself presentable, and had completed her makeover in five minutes.

She blushed as her eyes met Eriol's. She remembered what had happened just a few hours ago. Eriol, on the other hand, looked very concerned.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

Tomoyo shyly looked at him.

"Yeah. I 'm fine. Sorry for dumping my troubles on you like that. I think that that's the first time I've ever even considered confiding in someone. And I've only know you for, what, a few days?" Tomoyo gave him a wry grin and continued, "You really amaze me, Eriol-kun!"

Eriol gave a smile and said, "If I amaze you, Tomoyo, you _astound_ me. I know that I could not have survived under the circumstances that you were under!"

"Oh please. I'm blushing. But anyway, I think that Kiki over there has been waving her hand for a while now. We should get to work!"

Eriol gave a guilty jump as he headed over to Kiki to assist her with her math problems. Tomoyo headed into the kitchen and noted how neat everything was—just how she had left it. Eriol really was a godsend!

And thus was the life of Tomoyo and Eriol. For the next year, they enjoyed a peaceful life with the children. Sure, there were friendly squabbles now and then, but the complete trust and dependence that Tomoyo and Eriol possessed for each other kept them together in the deepest bonds of friendship…friendship, eh?


End file.
